The preliminary hearing for the teen in juvenile court ended Thursday morning after a lengthy process of expert testimony and argument. Judge Paul E. Dame announced the boy will be tried as an adult on two first-degree felony counts: attempted murder and use of a weapon of mass destruction.

The teen was also charged with two misdemeanors in connection with a separate incident at Hurricane High School in February in which he is accused of vandalizing the school with ISIS messages. The two charges, graffiti and abuse of a flag, will remain in juvenile court.

Dame explained his decision was based on his ruling that the defense failed to provide sufficient evidence it would be contrary to the best interest of the minor and the public to bind the juvenile over to the jurisdiction of the district courts.

Dame also said the Legislature dictates what to do when the charges are filed in separate information. In this case, Dame ruled the four charges were spurred from two separate criminal episodes, which allows him to keep the two misdemeanor charges in juvenile court.

Dame announced he would not give any additional analysis regarding his ruling in open court because he wants to help ensure the 16-year-old has the best opportunity to receive a fair trial in district court.

Now that the teen faces two charges in adult court, he is entitled to bail. Dame determined his bail be set at $100,000 cash-only for each of the two felony charges.

Neither the state nor the defense argued the decision on bail, but defense attorney Matthew Harris said the defense team will "reserve that issue for district court."

'The family is obviously upset'

Defense attorney Stephen Harris said the teen's family doesn't have sufficient resources to make bail at this time, and they'll likely be seeking a bail reduction in district court.

In addition, he said the family is upset because they would like to see the best outcome for the teenager, but they also realize the charges he faces are serious. Stephen Harris said their goal is to "see it through."

"They're a close-knit family, and a very large family," he said. "This is so atypical of his actions that it's just hard to comprehend they would be in this situation at this time."

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Defense Attorneys Stephen Harris and Matthew Harris comment on the ruling made by Judge Paul Dame concerning the 16-year-old boy accused of bringing a incendiary device to Pine View High School Thursday, July 26, 2018.(Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)

The defense team said they felt the boy would have been better served in the juvenile court system, according to Matthew Harris.

He said the current statute allows for the 16-year-old to stay in juvenile holding facilities until he's 18, so he will have the same resources available to him until that point.

"We have to remember this is an individual who for 16 years hasn't committed any violations," Matthew Harris said. "The allegations against him seem very bizarre. That's why I think when it gets to a jury, the jury can see this isn't a case you may commonly see on national headlines."

He went on to say it was unfortunately "just the hand they've been dealt."

Although he doesn't agree with the judge's decision, Stephen Harris said he respects it.

"I think he spent an inordinate amount of time in this case," Stephen Harris said. "It's been a complicated case, and I think that while I don't agree with his decision, I respect his decision and would like to comment the court on its attention to this matter."

Matthew Harris said they have to remain optimistic, and there are some benefits to moving the 16-year-old's case to district court.

"Now he has the opportunity to have a jury decide the issues," he said. "We believe that with the proper jury, it could be a good outcome for him. Up until this point, the amount of evidence is so slim ... with the jury looking up the facts, we believe there could be a proper outcome to the case."

Although the defense mentioned a jury may rule in the boy's favor, they would also be open to possible negotiations with the state. Stephen Harris said they want to explore all of those possibilities.

'We need to keep the community safe'

Deputy Washington County Attorney Angela Adams said the state truly believes they can best protect the community while supervising the boy's case in adult court.

Adams explained that the state will be able to protect the community for a much longer period of time than they would have been able to do in juvenile court.

"We're comfortable with (the bail amount), that it's a cash-only bail and it's a substantial amount," Adams said. "It will still be determined whether the state pursues a no-cash bail, and we will likely do that in district court."

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Deputy County Attorney Angela Adams comments on the ruling made by Judge Paul Dame concerning the 16-year-old boy accused of bringing a incendiary device to Pine View High School Thursday, July 26, 2018.(Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)

Overall, Adams said, what Dame's ruling means is that he is facing the charges as if he were an adult, which means he will be subject to the penalties of an adult.

The state hopes they can do what will be best for the community while also rehabilitating the minor so he doesn't commit any crime like this again, Adams said.

"We have no idea if that will take years to accomplish, so we need to keep the community safe," she said.

Adams said it's certainly possible the case could be resolved without a trial, but it's simply too early to tell what will happen in district court at this point in the proceedings.

"If it does go to trial, I could imagine it would be lengthy with substantial expert testimony."